Tanner Biagini enters his seventh season with Towson baseball in 2024, being promoted to associate head coach starting in the 2022 season. Biagini works primarily with the catchers and hitters at Towson plus serves as the team's third base coach.
Biagini's second year as associate head coach, 2023, saw Towson hitters swat 70 home runs, which stands fourth all-time in program history. Three Tigers finished with double-digit home run tallies, led by Bryce Frederick and John Cristino with 14 each, marking the most for a Tiger in a single season since 2009. Reyce Curnane finished with 12.
In his first year as associate head coach in 2022, Towson finished 10th in program history (at the time) with 50 home runs in the season, including Burke Camper and Elijah Dickerson each having 10 home runs, the most amount of home runs for a Tiger in a single season since 2014. Two Tigers, Jack McLaughlin and Elijah Dickerson, earned All-CAA distinction on the Second Team and Honorable Mention respectively while Camper was honored as the Collegiate Baseball News National Player of the Week honor after hitting .545 with five home runs in four games.
During his first four years with the team, Towson has ranked in the top-3 in the CAA in caught stealing % by catchers, including first in 2018 and 2020. Individually, Trey Martinez was #1 in the CAA in 2018 and Burke Camper the same in 2020.
In 2021, Biagini helped coach Towson to its first CAA Tournament since 2013 and the highest win total since 2014. Four of Towson's top five hitters in batting average were newcomers. Burke Camper was named to the Buster Posey Award Watch List for national catcher of the year.
The 2020 season, shortened to 15 games due to the COVID-19 outbreak, saw Biagini's hitters have some players rank in the top spots in the CAA. Newcomer Matt Arceo ranked in the top-6 in the league in each batting average, fourth at .395, and on-base percentage, sixth at .491. In addition, Brad Powers was third in the CAA with 16 RBI, averaging 1.33 RBI a game in 12 contests. Towson won five of its last six contests, including 21 runs vs. UMBC, the highest score in a game for Towson since 2011, plus had a pair of innings with at least nine runs plated.
In 2019, Biagini assisted with Javon Fields to be the first CAA All-Rookie Team member since 2016. Fields was the team leader in hits, runs, triples and stolen bases. Five different Tigers had at least 13 extra base hits, more than double the number the previous season.
Biagini helped with the hitting of Richie Palacios, who was drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Indians in 2018. Palacios earned Second Team All-CAA at shortstop in 2018. Palacios became the fourth Tiger ever to reach the major leagues, making his debut for the Cleveland Guardians on April 25, 2022.
“I want to thank God for this opportunity and my family for all their support over the years,” said Biagini upon his hiring. “I would also like to thank Joe Kinney and his staff at Lafayette for taking a chance on me three years ago. I am extremely excited and grateful getting the chance to coach at Towson University. It is a surreal experience for me because my family lived in Towson every baseball season when my father coached for the Orioles. I am truly humbled that Coach Tyner asked me to be a part of his staff. He has been a great mentor of mine since we first met four years ago at the University of Richmond.”
“It's not often that you get a chance to coach with the son of a man that you played for. Add that to Tanner's ability to instruct in the areas of catching, hitting and corner infield, and to me, it was a no-brainer, we had to add Tanner to this staff,” said head coach Matt Tyner. “We will continue to recruit by committee and Tanner's experience as the recruiting coordinator at Lafayette College will serve him well in this multi-dimensional role. Tanner brings a calm demeanor with him to the field every day and that quality will blend well with this staff.”
Biagini comes to Towson after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant at Lafayette College. In his role with the Leopards, Biagini worked with the hitters and catchers, while also handling pregame scouting reports.
Prior to his time at LC, Biagini spent three years as a volunteer assistant and camp director at the University of Richmond. The Spiders qualified for the Atlantic 10 tournament in each of his three seasons and advanced to the championship game in 2012.
Biagini spent the summer of the 2013 as the hitting coach for the Fayetteville Swampdogs of the Coastal Plain League. He helped coach six midseason all-stars and three postseason all-stars in his only season.
He has plenty of experience with camps and youth development. He spent time as the head coach of the Greenville Senior Babe Ruth team and the RBA-West U15 National team. He was also a camp instructor and speaker at various camps and clinics around the country.
In his playing days, Biagini was a four-year starting third baseman for the Virginia Military Institute. He served as a team captain his senior year as the Keydets reached their highest national ranking in program history, coming in at No. 26. He was a 2008 First-Team Virginia SID All-State selection. In 2007, he helped the team win a school-record 34 games.
In addition to his success at VMI, Biagini was also named the 2009 Amateur Player of the Year for the Pitt County Hot Stove League.
At the conclusion of his collegiate career, he became a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization and played for the Gulf Coast League affiliate as an infielder and catcher in 2010 and with the New York-Penn League Hudson Valley Renegades in 2011.
Biagini graduated from VMI in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Biagini’s father, Greg, had a 10-year professional playing career after being selected in the 12th round by the Montreal Expos in 1973. Following his playing career, Greg spent 14 years managing in the farm systems for the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers. He posted 937 victories and managed a pair of AAA championship teams, the 1990 Rochester Red Wings of the International League and the 1996 Oklahoma City 89ers of the American Association. He would also serve as the hitting coach for the Orioles from 1992-94.
In his first season coaching, the elder Biagini served as the coach of the instructional league team that featured Matt Tyner.
Biagini and his wife, Ashley, have two sons, Giovanni and Gabriele.
